Yarn packaging apparatus



May 17 i960 'HQBUDDECKE 2,936,508

YARN PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

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May 17, 1960 H. BUDDECKE YARN PACKAGING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10) 1958 I N V EN TOR. air-449M,

United States Patent 2,936,508 YARN PACKAGING APPARATUS Heinrich Buddecke, Goppingen, Wurttemberg, Germany Application February 10, 1958, Serial No. 714,418 Claims priority, application Germany February 16, 1957 11 Claims. (CI. 28-21) The invention relates to a body formed of threaded wool and/ or of yarns of any kind for the treatment in preparation of and subsequent to the spinning process and, in this particular case, for the dyeing, bleaching, steeping, drying, steaming, impregnating, etc. by means of liquid, vaporous or gaseous treatment agents.

In order to dye, for instance, wool, it is a rule to reel the wool on proper reels to form hanks having a length of approximate 60 cms. and to move the banks to and fro in a correspondingly large vmsel containing the dye bath. The treatment by means of other liquids, e.g. for draining or bleaching is similarly done in other large vessels. Steaming, drying, etc. requires other equipment and other treatment methods.

Hitherto, yarn will be dyed and treated similarly to wool by moving itto and fro in the dye bath etc. in the form of hanks, or also wound on bobbins, if it has not yet been dyed prior to being spun as bunch of spinning material. Apart from the yarn body being moved through the treatment agent, the treatment may also be effected by passing or pressing the treatment agent through the yarn body. Unobjectionable and uniform dyeing of wool in the form of a cross wound bobbin or the like, usually wound on a metal tube, is hardly obtainable even by means of the high pressure method.

The invention aims at creating a homogeneous and loosely built up thread body allowing easily to be formed,

from any length of thread, to be unwound, without any entanglement, down to the last remainder of the thread, allowing, in addition, not only the omission of the reeling with its troublesome skeining by hand of the bunches dividing up the hanks and the omission of the winding of the hank to a bobbin or a ball before the use of the wool or the yarn, but allowing also to carry out the complete subsequent treatment required for the spinning of the respective thread up to its being ready for use, without any change in its shape or in its spin casing.

For this purpose, the thread body, according to the invention, consists of rectangular, preferably square layers of coils directly lying one upon the other and formed of oblong helicoidally shaped thread coils tile-like overlapping each other, the winding directions of each subsequent layer being turned by a certain angle, preferably by 90.

The thread body is surrounded by a prismatic or cylindrical casing, the walls of which are permeable for the treatment agents (liquids, steam, and gases), as they consist of wide-meshed fabric, plait, perforated, plain, undulated, or projections carrying sheets and panels of anticorrosive metal, plastic, or of absorbent textile materials.

Inside the casings, means are provided for, by which the thread layers are kept in close touch with each other, e.g. by a holding member arranged to lay upon the uppermost thread layer.

In the case of all such thread bodies, but particularly in the case of such as are covered by a bag, a holding member may be inserted both underneath the lowest and above the uppermost thread layer. The bag may be pro- 2,936,508 Patented May 17 1960 2 vided with an annular shutting device in itself well known, the device being adjustable downwards, according to the withdrawals of the thread, to close to the upper holding member, this member allowing easily to Withdraw the thread.

In this form, the thread body may also be built up as a small consumption pack for every days use for yarns and wool and having a contents of approximate 20 to 200 grammes or of up to 2 kilogrammes as binding thread packs or as harvest yarn thread packs.

Well known are the small consumption thread packs consisting of square thread layers with oblong helicoidal coils and with each subsequent layer being turned by with regard to the previous one, but they are consumption packs exclusively having their thread layers separated by separating strips or the like to ensure a withdrawal of the thread without any entanglement, the strips to be. joined in a complicated manner and disturbing particularly, when the thread is to be dyed. In the case of the thread body according to the invention it has been found, that such yarn packs, and well of any size, may be used for the direct treatment in preparation of and subsequent to the spinning of the thread, if the thread layers are laid directly one upon the other without any separating leaves.

As it is known for the essential parts of the small consumption packs already mentioned, the device for the formation of thread bodies of the said kind consists of a thread guide rotating round a coiling mandrel, the thread guide to wind the thread in helicoidal coils round the coiling mandrel, and of a delivery device strippingoif the thread coils from the free end of the coiling mandrel, the free end having an oblong cross section. According to the invention, stripping ofi is done With interruptions, the gaps thus forming being bridged by individualconnecting thread sections. The coils are delivered to a guiding device, by which they are brought to an arrangement in which they overlap each other, and whichdevice leads the individual thread layers directly and without the use of separating foils or the like to a prismatic receptacle. The deposition of the layers is done in a way that each subsequent layer is turned, with regard to the previous one, by a certain angle, preferably by 90.

For the reception of a new thread layer, the receptacle is turned by a certain angle as compared to the delivery edge of the guiding device and is moved to this edge with its distant side plane and subsequently moved backwards in conformity with the movement of the guiding device, the thread layer running olf the delivery edge and being deposited on the previous thread layer. The receptacle is removable and interchangeable and may, at thesame time, be used as the casing for the treatment of the thread body. In addition, it may serve for the reception of an envelope, inside which'the thread body is formed by the deposition of the various layers.

The receptacle is mounted on a vertical supporting axle carried, in its turn, by a sliding carriage. A gear wheel rotating on the axle and connected. therewith by a ratchet gear is engaged with a gearing on the guide for the sliding carriage in a way that the ratchet rotates, the axle, when the sliding carriage is moved in the direction of the delivery edge, however, that the gear does notsoat the return movement.

Inside the receptacle, a supporting plate is provided for, which is lowered by a degree corresponding to the thickness of a thread layer, when a new thread layer is deposited. The drive of the engine .is stopped, as soon as the supporting plate reaches its lowest position.

The treatment subsequent to the spinning of the wool or the yarn is done in such a manner that the thread body described as being arranged in its casing or envelope etc., without being taking from its casing, may subseaeaasos quently be subjected to all manipulations required for the treatment, such as dyeing, steeping, bleaching, steaming impregnating, drying etc. The treatment agents may be led through the wool or yarn body by pressure, by the slinging or centrifugal forces produced by the movement of the thread body, and/or by the use of supersonic waves. In the preparatory spinning, the thread laying method, as described, may also be used for the deposition of layers of card slivers in cornered cans or, on combers, instead of the double or single bobbins. The result is that not only the card sliver or the condensed sliver can be withdrawn from the can without any difiiculty, but that also considerable space is saved, so

that the quantity of great cans and cylindrical yarn bobbins, always troubling in the preparatory spinning shop, may considerably be reduced.

Other features of the invention are resulting from the claims. Examples of execution of the thread body and of the devices used for its formation are following in detail.

In the respective drawing Fig. 1 shows a schematic, perspective view of the building up of the thread body, a top view of the same, and a part of the thread layers on a larger scale; Fig. 2 shows a schematic top view of a thread body with a cylindrical casing;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a thread body provided with its casing and placed in a treatment tank;

Fig. 4 shows a top view of a thread body covered by a holding member;

Fig. 5 shows a thread body with a casing consisting of strip elements;

'4 In order to guarantee, whilst the thread body is being manipulated and moved, a close touch of the individual thread layers 1 without the application of separating leaves or of a separating leaf-skeleton such as are applied in small packs, a holding member 12 (Figs. 3 to 6) is put on the uppermost thread layer, by the weight of which the thread layers are slightly pressed the one against the other. This holding member may be. placed in a square frame as shown on Fig. 3 or may consist of a ring as shown on Figs. 4 to 6. The eifect of its weight maybe replaced or supported by springs.

In the case of the form of execution of the thread body according to Figs. 4 and 5, the casing consists of two strips 13 crossing each other on the bottom, each led upwards the opposite sides of the body, and each interlocking, at the upper edge, between two projections 14 of the ring-shaped holding member 12. The strips are to have a rigid spring action resulting in their being in close touch of the .yarn body and thus securing an un- Fig. 6 shows a consumption pack for the thread body; 3

Fig. 7 shows a bag-shape execution of the envelope for thethread body;

Fig. 8 shows a schematic, perspective view of the coiling device for the thread body;

Fig. 9 shows a horizontal cross section of the coiling head center of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 shows a detail.

The thread body 1 (Fig. l) is built up by individual thread layers 2 superimposed one upon the other. Each layer consists of oblong helicoidal coils 3 arranged in overlapped scale-like fashion. Compared with the subsequent layer, the direction of the coils of each thread layer is turned by a certain angle. In the case of Fig. 1, the angle of displacement amounts to 90 resulting, under consideration of each thread layer being kept square, in a prismatic thread body of a square base. Instead, the turning of the direction of the subsequent thread layers may also be effected by any other angle resulting, as shown on Fig. 2, in a cylindrical thread body. In the case of this body, the individual thread layers may have any rectangular shape.

For the treatment subsequent to the spinning process, the thread body is covered by a casing 4 (Fig. 3), the walls of which are permeable for the liquid, vaporous, and gaseous treatment agents. For this purpose, the walls may be provided with perforations 5 of any shape or consist of cage bars 6 or of wide-meshed fabric or plait. The walls may be plain or undulated or provided with stamped impressions and such like. They have to be of a material indifferent to the treatment agents thus to consist preferably of anti-corrosive metal or of indiifcrent plastic.

The treatment of the yarn body is eifected in a suitable treatment tank 7 (Fig. 3), into which the treatment agent is led in through an inlet 8 and lead off through an outlet 9, eventually under pressure and eventually making use of the possibility of increasing the intensity of the effect of the treatment agents by applying supersonic waves or vibrations 11. The treatment may also be effected in such a way that the treatment agent in the tank 7 remains at rest and that the yarn body is moved through the treatment agent.

hampered 'movability of the holding member 12.

In the case of the form of execution as shown on Fig.

'7, the casing of the yarn body consists of a stiff, widemeshed plastic or wire netting bound together at the opening end or provided with an annular lock and with loops 15 at the corners for the manipulation of the body in the treatment tank.

It is obvious that, as a consequence of the loose and uniform structure of the yarn body, the treatment agents passed through the body will equally affect all parts of the thread, so that a uniform dyeing of the thread body in all its parts is possible as well as every other additional treatment, and this at the smallest expenditure of energy and time.

It is well known, how yarns and such like are being formed into a thread body in receptacles, so-called sliver cans. This is done in that the thread is deposited, round a central and perforated metal tube, in individual circular coils, the diameter of which is smaller than the radius of the cylindrical sliver can, the circular coils overlapping each other. The dye bath is to be pressed through the perforated tube into and through the thread body. In consequence of this type of coiling, however, a slub is formed in the centre part, in which thetouch of the thread parts is considerably more tight and more close than in the outer part. Practice has proved, however, that the centre part of the slubs of such a thread body cannot be dyed in a uniform manner apart from the fact that also the circular thread coils at the periphery of the thread body are entangled by the passing of the dye bath, as the threads are not suificiently supporting each other. Contrary thereto, in the yarn body according to the invention, each part of the thread is evenly crossed both by its thread parts above and underneath, so that all thread parts are supported by a uni- .form pressure and kept at a uniform tightness and distance, which not only ensures a uniform dyeing, but also prevents an entanglement with each other of the thread parts by the dye bath. The thread body according to the invention is wound and built up completely without any core.

The form of execution of the thread body as shown on .Fig. 6 is intended to serve both as a large and a small consumption pack. The envelope consists of a foil bag 16 provided with a holding member 12 upon the uppermost thread layer and with a corresponding holding member 12 inserted underneath the lowest thread layer. The purpose of the latter is to guarantee the maintenance of the cross section shape of the thread body also at the lower end of the pack. The upper opening end of the bag is provided with a well known clamping ring shutter 18, through which the thread 19'is withdrawn. As can be seen, the clamping ring shutter can be attached at any height of the bag and is thus adjustable to a height close to and above the upper holding member 12 in accordance with the withdrawal of the thread and the sinking down of the holding member, in order to ensure a close touch of the holding member to the thread layers. There is a possibility to effect or support a tight touch of the various thread layers by means of spring elements. If the touch of the thread layers is to be loosened for the withdrawal of the thread or for any other working operation, the whole body or parts of its casing, e.g. the strips 13 (Fig. may be shaken or set into vibration.

The device for the building up of the thread body as described is, in its essential parts, formed after the device for the formation of the above mentioned small consumption packs with separating leaves or such like between the various thread layers.

The thread 19 drawn from a cross wound bobbin 21 (Fig. 8) or such like is being led via a hollow axle 22 of a coiling head 23 through a thread guide 24 and wound on to a part 25 having a circular cross section of a coiling mandrel 26. Up to its free end 27, the mandrel is gradually changing into an oblong cross section having the same length of circumference and the helicoidally wound thread coils are being carried, by means of a special carrier device, in the form of endless bands 28, to the free end of the mandrel and discharged there. In this way, they are passing to a guide device 29 having the form of an endless band and are deposited, at its delivery edge 31, in a receptable 32. The thread guide 24 is inside a rotor 33 (Fig. 9), which is pivoted inside a stationary stator 34 and which pivots the coiling mandrel 26, the latter being kept in a position not rotating as to the stator.

The drive of the device is efiected by a motor 36 (Fig. 8) via an intermediate shaft 37, which, via a belt pulley 38 drives a driving tube 39, which, in its turn, may be coupled with the rotor 33 together with the thread guide 24 by means of a clutch 41 preferably operated electrically, whilst the endless bands 28 are continuously driven directly via the driving tube 39. The inner design of the coiling head 23 inclusive of the clutch 41 is described in detail further below.

In order to have the individual thread layers discharged separately from the delivery edge 31 at a time interval and a certain distance from each other, the individual thread layers remaining interconnected with each other by a section of the thread 43 bridging the gap, the drive of the rotor 33 is arrested by the clutch 41 on a permanent drive of the carrier bands 28 as soon as the winding of a thread layer is completed, which ensures that the guiding device 29 will receive thread layers separated from each other by a certain distance but interconnected with each other by the thread section 43.

Provisions are made above the endless band 29 of the guiding device for another endless band 44 synchronously moved with the band 29 and, at the same time, pressed against the thread layer on the band 29 in such a way that each thread coil is swung to the rear into a position to overlap the following thread coil.

In order to deposit, in the receptacle 32, the individual thread layers one after the other turned by 90 as compared to each other, this receptacle is mounted on a rotating axle 45 borne by a sliding carriage 46, which can be moved to and fro in -a parallel direction to that of the coiling head axle, the axle 45 and the receptacle 32 carrying out simultaneously certain rotations.

For this purpose, a shaft 47 is permanently driven by the intermediate shaft 37, the shaft 47 rotating, via a bevel-gear-tooth-system 48/49, a cross shaft 51 which, on its turn, gives a uniform rotation to a supporting shaft 52, via a belt drive, for the endless band of the guiding device 29. At the rear of the large bevel gear 49, a cam notch 53 is cut in, engaging the roller 54 of a connecting rod 55 which, in its turn again, is articulated to the sliding carriage 46 carrying the receptacle 32.

A gear wheel 56 is pivoted on the carrier axle 45 rotating on and in the carriage 46, the gear wheel 56 being connected with the axle via a one-sided ratchet, e.g.

6 a freewheeling 57 (Fig. 10). The gear wheel 56 (Fig. 89 is engaged with a gearing 58 of the guide of the sliding carriage and will be rotated to and fro at the corresponding movement of the carriage. If a thread layer 2 is deposited in the receptacle 32, the latter, with its upper edge 59, is near the delivery edge 31 of the guiding device. Subsequently the carriage 46 is shifted to the right by the cam notch 53 by a distance corresponding to the side length of the square cross section of the pack. As, simultaneously therewith, the gear wheel 56 is rotated by the gearing 58 and as this rotation is transmitted, by

the freewheeling 57 (Fig. 10), to the axle 45 with the result of the latter making one fourth revolution, the upper edge 61 (Fig. 8) will come near the delivery edge 31 and parallel to it, the receptacle 32 being placed underneath the guiding device 29. Now, the carriage 46, by the cam notch 53, is being moved again to the left.

The cam notch 53 is cut in such a way as to efiect the movement in conformity with the movement of the endless band of the guiding device 29, so that the new thread layer is deposited on the previous thread layer 2, beginning at the edge 61, uniformly and. without any mutual entanglement of the thread coils, the direction of the thread coils of the-new layer being crossed to that of the thread coils of the previous layer. Owing to the freewheeling 57, the carrying axle 45 is not being. rotated at this return-movement.

The piled thread layers 2 are supported from below by a supporting plate 62. The supporting plate is moved downwards by the thickness of one thread layer every time a new thread layer has been deposited in the receptacle. This is efiected by the screw spindle 63 passing through the hollow axle 45 and connected, at its upper end, with the supporting plate 62. A ratchet wheel 64 is screwing on the screw spindle 63, the ratchet wheel being kept axially non movable with regard to the brackets 65 of the bearing frame of the carriage. At the carriage guidance, a ratched pawl 66 is mounted which, every time the carriage 46 is moving to the right, imparts a part rotation to the ratchet wheel 64, by which rotation the screw spindle 63, together with the supporting plate 62, is moved downwards by a stretch corresponding to the thickness of a thread layer.

When the supporting plate 62 has reached its lowermost position, thus when the receptacle 32 is filled with the thread layers, the lower end of the screw spindle 63 will touch an electric contact 67, by which contact the current supply to the motor 36 is interrupted and the device is arrested. The thread body deposited in the receptacle 32 can now be withdrawn or the receptacle 32 taken off together with the thread body to put on a new receptacle. There is no difficulty to make use of a casing for the thread body according to Fig. 3 as a receptacle, in which case, after withdrawal of this casing with the thread body for the treatment subsequent to the spinning, the supporting plate 62 may remain in thecasing and thus replaces the bottom of the casing.

The inside design of the above mentioned coiling head 23 may be seen from Fig. 9. The drivingtube 39 permanently driven by means of its belt pulley 38, is pivotally mounted in a stationary stator 34 by means of a ball bearing 68.

The rotor 33 is pivotally arranged inside the driving tube, rotatably mounted in the driving tube 39 by means of a ball bearing 69 and at the right end in the stator 34 by means of the ball bearing 71. At the left end, the rotor is bell-mouthed and here carries the thread guide 24. Adjoining to the thread guide to the right up to the right end a passage duct 72 is provided for, through which the thread 19 is drawn when, at the rotation of the thread guide 33, it is wound on the circular cross section part 25 of the coiling mandrel 26.

The thread coils wound up are carried, by the carrier bands 28 and in the manner as described, to the free end 27 of the coiling mandrel. The coiling mandrel which is kept in a position not rotatable with regard to the stator by a generally known equipment, is carried by an axle 73 pivotally arranged by means of ball bearings 74, 75 of the rotor 33 and carries a worm gear 76 which is engaged 'with carrying wheels 77 of the endless bands 28. The

axle 73 is carrying, in addition, 'a gear wheel 78 meshing with a gear wheel of a pair of planet wheels 79, one

wheel of which meshes with a gearing 81 of the above mentioned driving tube. The pair of planet wheels 79 I is pivoted in the rotor 33.

, Either for winding of the thread with the driving tube 39 or' for braking and arresting, the rotor may be coupled by the electro-magnet coupling 41 mentioned. For this purpose, clutch couplings 83, 84 are non-rotatably arranged on a grooved part 82 of the rotor 33 but shiftably in an axial direction, clutch 83 cooperating With an 'electro-magnet 85 connected to the stator 34, clutch 84 cooperating with an electro-magnet 86 connected to the ;driving tube. When the driving tube 39 is being rotated,

the carrier bands 28 are kept in motion without interruption via'the gearing and the tooth wheels 81, 79, 78, and 76.. If, the electro-magnet 86 is excited, clutch 84 is attracted and will couple the rotor 33 with the driving tube 39, so that the thread is wound on the coiling head, and ,at the same time, the thread coils are carried to the free end 27 by the carrier bands 28.

If the electro-magnet 85 is excited, the rotor 33 is braked and arrested by the attraction of clutch 83, the rotation of the driving tube 39 via planet wheels 79 stopped with their axle and the wheels 78, 76 inducing the continuation of the movement of the carrier bands 28. The result thereof is the gap between two subsequent thread layers, the gap bridged by the connecting thread 43 (Fig. 8).

I What I claim is:

In an apparatus for producing thread bodies for the treatment of the thread in preparation of and subsequent to the spinning consisting of interconnected rectangular thread layers directly deposited the one ,upon the other being formed of oblong helicoidically shaped thread coils arranged in overlapped scale like fashion within their layers, comprising a thread guide, a coiling mandrel, means for rotating said thread guide round said coiling mandrel, means for stripping off the wound coils "from said coiling mandrel, driving means adapted for by connecting thread sections.

2 In an apparatus according to claim 1, a prismatic receptacle for receiving the coiled thread layers, a guiding "device for feeding the thread layers from the end of the coiling mandrel up to said receptacle, and an equipment for effecting overlapping of neighboring coils cooperating 'with said guiding device.

3. In an apparatus according to claim 1, said means for interrupting the drive of said rotating means for the thread guide comprising a driving tube, a rotor carrying s aid thread guide and surrounding said driving tube, an electr'omagnetsecured to said driving tube, a stationary electromagnet, two coupling disc unrotatably but sl1ift able connected with said rotor each cooperating with one of the two electromagnets, means for alternatively exciting said electromagnets whereby said thread guide is rotated or arrested.

4. In an apparatus according to claim 1, and a prismatic receptacle for receiving the said coiled thread layers, a guiding device for feeding the thread layers from 'theend of said coilin g mandrel up to said receptacle, and means for turning said receptacle by a certain angle v previous to the deposition of a new thread layer.

rear side.

' 5.In"'an apparatus according to claim l, and a'prismatic receptacle for receiving the said coiled thread layers, a guiding device for feeding the thread layers from the end of said coiling mandrel up to said receptacle; said guiding device terminating into a delivery edge, means for 'turning" said receptacle by a certain angle about its vertical axis, and means for moving said receptacle to and fro with respect to said delivery edge.

' 6. In an apparatus according to claim 1, said receptacle being removable and interchangeable, and so constructed as to represent a treatment casing for the thread body and 'for reception of a treatment casing for the thread body.

7. In a device according to claim 1, and a receptacle for receiving said thread layers forming the thread body, a supporting plate in said receptacle supporting said thread layers, means for lowering said supporting plate by a stretch corresponding to the thickness of a thread 'layereach time a new thread layer has been deposited. 20

8. in an apparatus according to claim 1, and a prismatic receptacle for receiving the coiled thread layers, a guiding device for feeding the thread layers from the end of the coiling mandrel up to said receptacle, said feeding device terminating in a delivery edge, a supporting axle mounting said receptacle, a sliding carriage carrying said supporting axle, a gear wheel rotatably mounted about said axle, a ratchet gear between said axle and said'gear wheel, a stationary guidance for said slide, a rack gear connected with said stationary guidance and being in mesh with said gear wheel, whereby, when said sliding carriage being moved towards said delivery edge, said ratchet gear rotates said axle together with said receptacle but does not so at the return movement of the sliding carriage.

9. In an apparatus according to claim 1, and a. prismatic receptacle for receiving the coiled thread layers, a

guiding device for feeding the thread layers from the end of the coiling mandrel up to said receptacle, a sliding carriage carrying said receptacle, a cam notch, a connecting rod connecting said sliding carriage with said cam notch, driving means for said guiding means comprising a large bevel gear carrying said cam notch at its 10. In a device according to claim 1, and a prismatic receptacle for receiving said thread layers forming the thread body, a supporting plate in said receptacle supporting said thread layers, a hollow axle supporting said receptacle, a screw spindle passing through said hollow axle, a sliding'carriage carrying said hollow axle and mounting said screw spindle, means for moving to and fro said sliding carriage, a ratchet wheel secured to said screw spindle, a stationary mounted ratchet pawl cooperating therewith, whereby an each moving said sliding carriage to and fro said screw spindle being turned in order to lower said supporting plate-by a stretch corresponding to the thickness of a thread player.

11. In a device according to claim 1, and a receptacle for receiving said thread layer forming the thread body,

a supporting plate in said receptacle supporting said vthread layers, means for lowering said supporting plate by a stretch corresponding to the thickness of a thread layer each time a new thread layer has been deposited, said lowering means comprise a screw spindle, a driving mechanism and means for switching off said .driving means, when said receptacle is filled and said screw spindle reaches its lowest position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS' 2,604,687 Broden July 29, 1952 2,689,644 Buddecke Sept. 21, 1954 1 2,721,371 Hodkinson et al Oct. 25, 1955 2,804,973 Buddecke Sept. 3, 1957 

